The first Battle of Alberta is almost here and the Golden Bears enter Week 4 still searching for their first win of the season after a 47–23 loss to the Regina Rams last weekend.
The defeat was capped off by a 109-yard pick-six with Alberta in Regina's redzone in the fourth quarter, but Alberta remains confident they can regroup ahead of Friday's rivalry matchup against the Calgary Dinos.
Head coach Stevenson Bone acknowledged his team’s areas that need improvement ahead of Friday's matchup — particularly with execution and consistency within a young secondary that is still finding their rhythm, but he reiterated his belief in the freshman class' long-term potential.
He believes his freshman class played well against the Regina Rams — who are defending Hardy Cups champions and are sporting a bigger and older roster than the Bears.
Bone, who previously served as offensive coordinator at UBC, has adopted the Blake Nill philosophy — playing rookies early and letting them learn on the job rather than redshirting nearly all first years, as is common under coaches like former Golden Bears head coach Chris Morris and CJFL Edmonton Huskies head coach Marshal Klein.
That approach has been especially evident in Alberta’s secondary.
The team's defensive backfield underwent heavy roster turnover in the offseason, with most of last year’s senior players graduating at once. That loss of roster depth has left rookies in starting roles they might normally spend a year preparing for.
The Bears’ offence, meanwhile, has shown flashes of promise but continues to search for consistency.
Quarterback Eli Hetlinger connected with receiver Chevy Thomas for multiple explosive plays against the Rams, while Kolby Hurford and Isaiah Sanderson chipped in with key catches, although unexpected pressure on Hetlinger from the Rams' defense resulted in a missed scoring opportunity for Sanderson in the second quarter.
At practice this week, the Bears entrusted senior running back Oshinubi with the majority of the carries.
Coach Bone emphasized Oshinubi's standout performance at practice this week — foreshadowing that he could be playing a much stronger role for the offensive side in Friday's game.
Backup quarterback Trey Reider was also seen getting his reps in opposite of Hetlinger at practice. Reider has been read as a mobile quarterback, who has been utilized in games so far in situational plays.
Veteran receivers Erik Torhjelm, Kolby Hurford and Carter Kettyle could be seen polishing their routes and controlling their bursts with excellent precision, highlighting their readiness to lead the passing game on Friday.
Against Calgary, Alberta will need sharper execution on both sides of the ball. The Dinos come in with one of the most physical fronts in Canada West and a strong ground game that will test the Bears’ tackling — something Bone has already highlighted as an area for improvement.
David Jordan, a transfer from Florida A&M (Birmingham Community), is off to an explosive start in Canadian football, winning the Dinos starting quarterback job out of camp.
Through two games, the 6'5" rookie has led the Dinos to overtime against the 2-0 Rams and led a comeback win over the Manitoba Bisons.
Jordan is 39-of-69 for 435 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Alberta already faced their provincial opponents this year during a preseason matchup in Red Deer, Alta. on Aug. 16. A young defensive group's debut showed their incoming growing pains, as Alberta took a 45-13 loss against Calgary.
Last year, the teams met just once, when Calgary won 36-22 at Foote Field.
Calgary currently holds a few more senior defensive players to lean on than Alberta, which will test how quickly Alberta's youngsters can pull together their run game disruption.
Players to watch:
Calgary:
- QB David Jordan
- QB Jet Zakrzewski
- RB Eri Olaburofin
- DL Sylvester Ibelo
- K Vince Triumbari
- DL Crown Otoro
- REC Matt Sibley
Alberta:
- RB Ope Oshinubi
- LB Chase Pack
- REC Erik Torjhelm
- DL Alex Oboh
- K/P Eric Schwartz
- QB Trey Reider
Overall Matchup Prediction:
Both Calgary and Alberta are sporting younger depth charts this year. Alberta's early flashes of potential could come to fruition this game if the Bears' secondary chemistry is improving as well as learning sharply from mistakes in prior matchups.
Alberta still holding more senior receivers than Calgary may give Alberta an extra edge against their provincial rivals. However, an older defensive back and linebacker group may give Alberta's offense a run for their money if they don't stay alert.
Ajayi's final score prediction: Alberta wins, 27-22